Even before Ryan Reynolds made Deadpool into a household name, the Merc with a Mouth was already established as one of Marvel’s most unconventional characters, best known for his regenerative healing factor and fourth-wall-breaking antics. In the comics, which have been relatively faithfully adapted into recent live-action releases, Deadpool is a mutant mercenary who is an expert in hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship, who just seems physically incapable of keeping his mouth shut.
As seen in both comics and the movie, Deadpool’s healing ability is his signature power; it allows him to regenerate damaged tissue, regrow limbs, and survive otherwise fatal injuries, making him borderline immortal. This near-immortality extends to severe decapitation, as his body can reconnect or regenerate from the damage. However, even Wolverine’s legendary healing factor has its limitations, leading many to wonder whether Deadpool can be actually killed. And the answer is, well, complicated.
In simple terms, yes, Deadpool can be killed — he’s met his end several times in the comics. However, death with Deadpool isn’t quite that straightforward. Many who’ve attempted to eliminate the Merc with a Mouth often found themselves riddled with bullet holes or skewered like kebabs, courtesy of what can only be described as the unholy offspring of Freddy Krueger and a topographical map of Utah. So, how do you silence the Merc with a Mouth for good? To answer that, we need to delve into the mechanics of Deadpool’s powers and uncover what’s truly keeping him alive, despite Marvel’s universe constantly throwing its deadliest foes and killing mechanisms his way.
Just like in the movies, Wade Wilson learned that he has 34 inoperable cancerous tumors, which prompted him to enter the Weapon X Program, where he was implanted with a healing factor derived from another Weapon X Program test subject — Wolverine. However, while Wade’s healing factor was derived from Wolverine’s genes, the ability was significantly amplified, which allowed Wade to regenerate even after being decapitated or after making the Hulk angrier than he already is.
Whatever the case may be, his healing factor began to destabilize at one point, which allowed his cancer to progress aggressively once again and caused the massive scarring of his flesh. As a result, he was sent to the Hospice, where he served as a test subject for Doctor Killebrew and his sadistic assistant Ajax — you all remember Francis from the first film, right? Wade would die during some of Killebrew’s experiments, but what little remained of his healing factor would bring him back to life.
During that time, Wade became romantically involved with Mistress Death — a cosmic personification of Death in the Marvel Comics universe — and even went as far as to deliberately taunt Ajax by calling him his real name, only so that he could spend time with Death. After Wade broke one of Hospice’s more strict rules, Ajax tore out his heart and left him for dead. However, his thirst for vengeance jumpstarted his healing factor and regenerated his heart, though it hadn’t healed his scarring. After that, he broke out from Hospice and took on the name Deadpool.
Following his escape, Deadpool put his skills to even deadlier use at the disposal of the government and other surreptitious agencies, as well as those with excessive coin and inexcessive scruples to pay for his services. But he kept returning to Lady Death during those short moments when his heart would stop before his healing factor would jumpstart it again. This sparked a rivalry with Thanos, who also sought Death’s affection during his relentless quest for power. Unbeknownst to the Merc with a Mouth, the Mad Titan cursed him with immortality, forever barring Deadpool from reuniting with Death.
However, there’s really no real evidence to suggest that Thanos used some sort of magic to prevent Deadpool from dying. There’s a lot of fan speculation regarding the act itself; fans believe that Thanos’s curse was nothing more than a rant, while others believe that Thanos used some fusion of necromancy and science to curse Wade, kill him, and then bring him back to life to only request his aid in tracking down Lady Death, who had gone missing.
So, for all intents and purposes, Deadpool is effectively immortal. However, as previously stated, he had died several times in the comics, often by means of decapitation followed by complete brain destruction, total cellular disintegration, and interferences from supernatural or cosmic forces, who also brought him back to life on several occasions. Additionally, both comics and their live-action adaptation introduced anti-healing factor toxins, serums, and technologies that can inhibit or even nullify Deadpool’s regenerative abilities — as seen in Deadpool 2.
In the end, Deadpool’s immortality owes a lot to his healing factor, which keeps both his healthy and cancerous cells annoyingly alive. But let’s be real: the real MVPs here are the writers. As the late, great Stan Lee famously said: The fate of Marvel’s characters lies in the hands of those holding the pen. So, while Deadpool might be set to outlast cockroaches and Twinkies, all it takes is one writer’s whim to send him packing. However, knowing Wade, he’d probably find a way to rewrite himself back in.